The Surprising Grace of a Pigeon in Slow Motion Flight

A lofty clip from the BBC Earth series Secrets of Bones shows in slow motion, how a pigeon named Smudge takes powerful flight vertically. Smudge and others like her, are built with very short, stubby bones that offer a great deal of strength, stability and a surprising amount of grace.

By filming smudge in slow motion we can see how pigeons have an explosive takeoff. They are able to fly vertically upwards for more than 20 meters this exceptional flying ability is down to their complex physiology.